The Midnight Pine announces new album

The Midnight Pine is releasing a new album this fall. The self-titled album, which follows 2014's Buried , will officially be released through digital outlets on Oct. 7, but the band will have some early physical copies available at the release party, which is being held Sept. 9 at Moniker Warehouse. The show will feature two sets from the band, one in which they're playing all of the songs from the new album.

In a phone interview, singer Shelbi Bennett says that the new songs are a little richer and earthier than those on their previous albums, though it wasn't part of any grand, overarching plan.

"I think when we're working on songs and working on albums, we kind of let them turn into what they will," she says. " Buried had...kind of mystical sounding things. We kind of wanted to go in a different direction."

Past Midnight Pine albums were primarily the result of songwriting collaborations between Bennett and percussionist Al Howard, who writes most of the band's lyrics. However, this is the first of their albums since the launch of The Redwoods Music label, and having more personnel on hand to help in recording the album led to a few changes in procedure and production.

"I definitely think that it's different," Bennett says. "There have been some changes in how things are executed. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that I don't know about."

The Midnight Pine recently released a stripped-down live video of a particular haunting performance of "Bends and Bows," which is on the new album. And it's not too much of an exaggeration to say that their songs are often haunting, regardless of context, but Bennett says that whatever the case, she hopes that people can take some kind of emotional connection from the music.

"I guess I hope that people are able to relate to it in a way that means something to them," she says. "That's what's great about art in general. It's a way to say 'I feel this way,' whether it's good or bad. And it can be a cathartic thing for you."